Device for dispensing disks and the like



Dec. 29, 1964 H GATES 3,163,170

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING DISKS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct 5, 1960 FIG. 5 :a

INVENTOR. FRANCIS H. GATES ROBERT J. PATCH ATTORNEY United States PatentOfitice 3,153,,l7d Patented Dec. 29, 1964 3,163,170 DEVICE FURDISPENSING DISKS AND THE LIKE Francis H. Gates, 582 Knuwell Place, QostaMesa, Calif. Filed Get. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 60,592 2 Claims. (13!. l33--8)The present invention relates to devices for dispensing disks and thelike, more particularly to devices adapted to be held in the hand tocount and load into containers relatively small flat disks such ascoins, poker chips, and tokens. It is not necessary that the disks besolid, for they may be annular as in the case of washers, nor is itnecessary that the outer contour of the disks be circular, for polygonalnuts and the like are also contemplated as articles suitable to behandled by the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such deviceseffective to receive and dispense disks and the like in predeterminedquantities thereby to serve as a means for counting the disks or fordispensing a predetermined number of the disks.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of suchdispensing devices adapted to effect insertion of a quantity of disksinto a tubular container without binding of the disks either with thedispenser or with the interior wall of the container.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of suchdevices adapted to dispose the disks in one position convenient forcounting and in another position convenient for dispensing.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of suchdevices having portions adapted to serve selectively as scoops or ashandles.

Finally. it is an object of the present invention to provide suchdevices that will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture,quick, easy and accurate to opcrate, and rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a dispensing device according to the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on the line of 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view showing a modified form of theinvention;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the device of FIGURE2; and

FIGURE 6 is a view showing the device of FIGURE 2 in use in theoperation of dispensing disk into a tubular container.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown adispenser according to the present invention indicated generally at I.and comprising an open topped trough 3 having a bot-tom 5 and sidewalls7 terminating in straight parallel horizontal upper edges 9. Trough 3 isof arcuate cross sectional configuration and has a uniform crosssectional configuration substantially from end to end thereof. Theinterior of trough 3 is elliptical in cross section, that is, in amultiplicity of planes perpendicular to the axis of the trough. Theradii of curvature of the interior surface are greatest adjacent bottom5 and least adjacent sidewalls 7. The cross sectional configuration ofthe interior of trough 3 is a semi-ellipse, and upper edges 9 areclosely adjacent, and in the illustrated embodiment coincide with, theends of the major axis of the ellipse of which the cross sectionalconfiguration of the interior of trough 3 comprises one-half.

Trough 3 is open at one end 11 and is rounded at that end in the mannerof a scoop, and it is closed at the other end by a wall 13 having a fiatsurface 15 bounding a portion of the interior of trough 3. Consideringthe axis of trough 3 to be horizontal, surface 15 extends upward fromthe bottom of the trough, and in the illustrated embodiment is inclineddownward toward end 11 of the trough relative to a plane perpendicularof the axis of the trough. Surface 15 terminates upward in a horizontaledge 17 disposed above bottom 5 of trough 3 a distance substantiallyless than the width of trough 3 between upper edges 9. In theillustrated embodiment, edge 17 is at the same level and lies in theplane of edges 9.

A recess 19 above edge 17 spaces edge 17 from an abutment 2].. Abutment21 defines with edge 17 a plane inclined forwardly downward relativeboth to the plane of surface 15 and a plane perpendicular to the axis oftrough 3. Abutment 21 may be provided in a number of ways: for example,it can be provided by the relatively sharp point to which the lead linefrom reference numeral 21 extends in FIGURE 5; or it can be provided bysome point below that last point on a boundary portion of recess 19.Alternatively, recess 19 can be eliminated and edge 17 can form ahorizontal dihedral between two flat surfaces, one of which is surface15 and the other of which would be represented in FIGURE 5 by a straightline between edge 17 and the point touched by the lead line of numeral21 in FIGURE 5.

A handle means is provided for holding trough 3 in the hand while disksare received into and dispensed from the trough. In the preferredembodiment, this handle means is provided by a second trough 23 havingits axis parallel to or coaxial with the axis of trough 3 but extendingin an opposite direction from and inverted relative to trough 3. Thesecond trough 2.3 is of a width distinctively different from the widthof trough 3 so as to accommodate disks of distinctively different sizefrom those handled by trough 3. For example, if the disk-s are coins,then trough 3 can handle coins of one denomination while trough 23 canhandle coins of another denomination, the coins of all denominationshaving distinctively different sizes. Alternatively, as seen in themodified form of FIGURE 4, the trough 3 can have a handle ferredarrangement.

means provided by a handle 25 that performs no function other thanserving as a handle for trough 3'.

As indicated, however, the double trough arrangement of all of thefigures other than FIGURE 4 is the pre- Thus, in this preferred form,the trough 23 is closed at its rear by abutment 21, the abutment in thissense performing a double function as abutment and end wall, thesidewalls of trough 23 providing grips as a handle when trough 3 is usedfor disks rather than trough 23. Abutment 21 and wall 13 areinterconnected by a web 2'7, and the dispenser of the present inventionis virtually a reversed mirror image of itself, apart from changes ofdimension, on opposite sides of the plane that bisects web 7.

In operation, disks or the like are stacked in one of the troughs asseen in FIGURE 5, with the rearrnost disk flat against surface 15 andthe other disk flat against the next disk to the rear. In this position,any rims on the disks, such as the rims on poker chips, tokens andcoins, do not tend to lock into. each other, and the coins can be easilydislodged from each other. Also, in this position, the individualuppermost edges of the disks are slightly displaced from each other soas to give a saw tooth or serrated appearance from the side. In thisway, the disks can be easily separated from each other by manipulationof their uppermost edges. All the disks are thus parallel to each otherbut inclined downward toward end 11 of the trough. The ellipticalconfiguration of the cross section of the trough assures that the loweredges of the disks are incontact with the trough substantially entirelyabout the lower portion of the disks. The disposition of inclination formost purposes.

the upper edges 9 of the trough adjacent the ends of the major axis ofthe semiellipse assures that substantially the upper halves of the coinsproject above the trough and are exposed for manipulation.

In this position, it is easy to count the disks by the distance thestack of disks extends from surface 15. To this end, indicia 29 areprovided for measuring the height of the stack on the interior of thetrough. Indicia 29 may for example take the form of lines marked on orinscribed in the inner surface of the trough parallel to the lower edgesof the disks in the position the disks initially assume in the trough.There may for example be a line at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 units, thelines being spaced apart by multiples of the thickness of the disk to beaccommodated. In the case of coins, for example, the lines may be markedwith numerals corresponding either to the number of coins of a certaindenomination that reach to that line or the value of coins of a certaindenomination that reach to that line.

For reasons stated above, it is advantageous to incline flat surface 15'as shown relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the trough;however, too much inclination of surface 15 results in excessiveinclination of the disks. In the illustrated embodiment, an inclinationof 30 from the vertical is shown; and this is a convenient degree ofExcessive inclination, however, results in an inaccurate count of thedisks. When the disks are too nearly lying on their sides relative toeach other, the distance to which they extend from surface 15 is subjectto considerable variation for the same number of disks. At the sametime, however, it is difficult to insert the disks in a tubular sleeveif the disks are too nearly vertical in the trough. Indeed, it isditficult to insert them in a tubular sleeve when they are fiat againstsurface 15. Hence, the utility of edge 17 and abutment 21 will becomeapparent, for as is seen in FIGURE 6, it is possible by means of edge1'7 and abutment 21 to further incline the disks after they have beencounted, simply by pressing back on the staggered upper edges of thedisks until the rear disk swings about edge 17' and contacts at itsupper end a portion of abutment 21. In this further inclined position,the disks slant so relative to the trough that their position in thetrough no longer accurately indicates their number. But at the sametime, they slant sufficiently that they can be introduced easily into atubular container such as a tubular coin sleeve 31 without interferingwith the side walls of the container, as seen in FIGURE 6. As also seenin FIGURE 6, it is not necessarily the sharp upper peak of abutment 21that contacts the rear disks, for the upper edge of the disk can alsocontact aboundary portion of recess 19. FIGURE 6 also illustrates theease with which the second trough 23 serves as a handle in the doubletrough embodiment.

It Willalso be noted that the distance between the abutment and thebottom of the trough measured in the plane defined by the abutment andthe horizontal edge is not greater than the diameter of a disk to behandled.

Comparison of FIGURES and 6 also shows the vir- =tue of inclining fiatsurface as described so as to pre vent rims on the disks frominterlocking. If surface 15 were vertical, then it would obviously bequite diflicult to move rimmed disks from a position in which their rimsinterlocked to the position shown in FIGURE 6 simply by manipulation ofthe disks with the thumb.

Comparison of FIGURES 5 and 6 will also make it plain that abutment 21can be formed in any of a variety of manners,= as described in greaterdetail above, for it is necessary only to provide a point or surfacespaced above edge 17 and a short distance behind the plane of surface 15relative to open end 11 and at a height above bottom 5 less than thewidth of the trough, that is, less than the height of the disks to beaccommodated. These requirements being satisfied, it is relatively quiteunim portant whether recess 19 is present or absent, or whether abutment21 is in the form of a plane bordered on one edge by edge 17, or Whetherit takes any of a variety of other configurations.

As will now be appreciated, a dispenser 1 can be formed of any of avariety of materials provided that it is substantially rigid.Particularly preferred are hardened plastics from which it can be moldedas an integral piece.

Although the present invention has been described in connection withpreferred embodiments, it is to be unerstood that modifications andvariations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention, as those skilled in this art Will readily understand. Suchmodifications and variations are considered to be within the purview andscope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for dispensing disks and the like, comprising a pair ofopen-topped troughs disposed end-to-end and inverted relative to eachother and having closed ends adjacent each other and open ends oppositeeach other, and single wall means closing said closed ends of thetroughs and having a portion closing one trough and a portion closingthe other trough, said wall means providing at each closed end of eachtrough a fiat surface that extends from the bottom of each troughupwardly and terminates in a horizontal edge spaced from the bottom ofthe trough a distance substantially less than the width of the inside ofthe trough, the side of each said wall portion opposite its associatedtrough providing an abutment above the bottom of the trough other thanits associated said trough a distance less than the Width of the insideof said other trough and above said edge associatedwith said: othertrough and a short distance on the side of the plane of said flatsurface of said other trough opposite the open end of said other trough.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said flat surfaces areinclined downwardly toward the open ends of their associated troughs.

References fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.92,118 Stuart a. Apr. 24, 1934 208,902 Fuller Oct. 15, 1878 382,870Farrington May 15, 1888 1,037,105 Baugh Aug. 27, 1912 1,120,081 PotterDec. 8, 1914 1,171,409 Bisland- Feb. 15, 1916 2,182,464 Blackstone Dec.5, 1939 2,215,858 Slootsky Sept. 24, 1940 2,242,933 Wagner May 20, 19412,441,486 Hagopian May 11, 1948 2,613,537 Di Addario Oct. 14, 19522,683,374 Finley July 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,402 Sweden Sept. 1,1900 22,952 'reat Britain of 1898 18,490 Great Britain of 1896 26,021Great Britain of 1903

1. A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING DISKS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A PAIR OFOPEN-TOPPED TROUGHS DISPOSED END-TO-END AND INVERTED RELATIVE TO EACHOTHER AND HAVING CLOSED ENDS ADJACENT EACH OTHER AND OPEN ENDS OPPOSITEEACH OTHER, AND SINGLE WALL MEANS CLOSING SAID CLOSED ENDS OF THETROUGHS AND HAVING A PORTION CLOSING ONE TROUGH AND A PORTION CLOSINGTHE OTHER TROUGH, SAID WALL MEANS PROVIDING AT EACH CLOSED END OF EACHTROUGH A FLAT SURFACE THAT EXTENDS FROM THE BOTTOM OF EACH TROUGHUPWARDLY AND TERMINATES IN A HORIZONTAL EDGE SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM OFTHE TROUGH A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE INSIDE OFTHE TROUGH, THE SIDE OF EACH SAID WALL PORTION OPPOSITE ITS ASSOCIATEDTROUGH PROVIDING AN